The Promise
by Silver-Fairy0101
Summary: Dean holds a belief that John and Sam don't understand. Dean doesn't want to let it go, because of the promise he made a long time ago. DO NOT OWN SUPERNATURAL!


"Dean, there is no such thing as good in everything!" Sam yelled as he and John looked for a way to track the YED. "What makes you believe that? After all we've seen?"

"Your Brother is right Dean, some things are just evil, there is no good in them." John agreed quietly as he looked at his eldest. Dean bit his lip as he shook his head.

"No. Not true. There is always good in everything, no matter how minute. Even the most evil of being has some degree of moral code. While it may not agree with how we see things, that is how they perceive good and evil." Dean said softly. "Nothing is beyond hope." Dean said gently, his belief in this was firm. John huffed, it was this belief, this one thing that he and Dean butted heads about. He didn't understand where Dean had even gotten this view.

"Yes Dean, there is such a thing as hopeless." Sam huffed.

"You really think so?" Dean asked softly, looking at Sam, his green eyes seemed to glow in this moment, as though showing a hidden secret, one that only Dean knew. "If things are beyond hope, then, why, why even after twenty years, are you still searching?" Dean asked gently. "I know it attacks every now and again, and each time it seems just out of grasp, but, surely after twenty years of no sightings, you would have lost hope Dad?" Dean asked, turning to his Father.

John went wide eyed at that as he found he couldn't refute Dean's words. It took the damn YED attacking Sam's girlfriend for him to finally find it, yet, he hadn't seen a single sighting before that since Mary had been killed.

"Dean, that's not the same thing." John stated calmly.

"Isn't it?" Dean asked. "I'm sorry Dad, Sam, but, I just can't agree with this. Everyone has good in them, hidden deep down somewhere." Dean said softly, before turning and walking out the motel.

"Where did he learn that belief?" Sam asked quietly, turning to his Father.

"I wish I knew." John muttered darkly.

######

That night, Dean didn't return to the motel, instead choosing to stay outside. They were in a small town that was right on the coast, about two days away from Palo Alto. Dean hadn't commented on the location, but he was glad to be by the sea as he thought on the belief his Father and Brother wanted him to give up.

"I can't just give it up." Dean whispered softly, his green eyes gazing up at the starlit sky. He sat on the sand and listened to the waves of the sea crash against the shore, as he thought to the belief, and where he'd gotten it from.

_FLASHBACK (TWENTY-THREE YEARS AGO)_

_Little Dean was but three years old when he sat in the park in Lawrence. He was sat in the sand box, his Mother close by, watching him. Four months pregnant with his baby sibling. _

_Dean frowned when he saw a girl being picked on by other kids, most of them older than her. Dean stood and went over. "Hey, don't be mean." Dean stated as he stood by the girl. _

"_Oh, got your boyfriend to stand up for you?" One of the older boys taunted. _

"_Your just mean." The girl said, very close to tears and when one of the boys went to hit her, Dean stepped in and pushed the boy before he could get his target. _

"_You'll get in trouble for that!" The boy yelled while all their parents came over. The parents of the boy who had been pushed were blushing in embarrassment at their Son's behaviour. Turned out his lackeys were his little Brothers. _

"_Mary, you have a fine boy there." The girl's Mother stated with a smile. "But perhaps..."_

"_Yes, I know just what you mean Maria." Mary smiled as she took Dean's hand and led him away. When the two got home, Mary lifted Dean onto the counter. "Dean, what you did today..."_

"_Was I bad? Am I bad?" Dean asked, suddenly worried that he'd done something really naughty. _

"_No, sweetie, you stood up for someone in trouble. And, I'm very proud of you for that." Mary said softly. "You did good Deanie." Mary said softly. "But, what would have been better than fighting back?" _

"_Getting you?" Dean asked. _

"_That's right." Mary nodded. "Dean, there is always good in people, while people can act mean, and are mean, there is always good in them, even if it's the smallest amount. You understand?" _

"_I think so." Dean murmured. _

"_Deanie, promise me something? Promise me, that you'll always look for the tiniest hint of good in everyone, no matter how evil or bad they may seem. Can you do that? For me?" Mary asked. _

"_I promise Momma." _

_END FLASHBACK_

"I promise Momma." Dean whispered as tears stung his eyes. It took him a couple of years to understand that, but, every day since making that promise, Dean recited those words in his mind.

######

The following morning, Dean walked into the motel to find his Brother and Father stood looking ready to tear their hair out. "What's going on?" Dean asked, mildly confused.

"What's going on?" John asked. "You vanished for the whole night Dean! Where the hell were you? Do you know what coulda happened to you?!" John yelled.

"I was only at the beach." Dean said as he pointed to the beach, just across the street. Sam glared faintly at his older Brother as the three silently all agreed to go and discuss this over breakfast.

"Dean, where did you even learn that belief?" John asked, after getting their coffees.

Dean bit his lip, knowing how his answer may affect John, while glancing slightly at Sam. "When...when I was three...I...I promise to always keep hold of that belief."

John felt his stomach plummet as he realised there were only a select handful of people Dean would make a promise like that to when he was that age. "Who?" Sam asked in confusion, not noticing the look on his Father's face.

"Mom."


End file.
